Process of atomizing and burning hydrocarbons.



c. v. STUART. PROCESS 0F -ATOMlZ-ING AND BURNlNGHYDROCARBONS.

APLlcMloN FILED fes. 16.1914. l

Patented Dc. 1.4, 1915.

ans ramena. 'onirica CHARLES vvion STUART; or inaivir;e'i'..s,` rnnir'nssnn, .asistencia To STUART .AMERICAN PRODUCTS COMPANY, OF MEMPHIS, rnunnssnn, a Couronn- TION 0F TENNESSEE.'

Y rincones or a'reiviizrne aannam-irais rrrnnocannons;

.la i i Appiicaun mea February fiee isili. serial in. eraser.

y lBeg-fit,- knownv that I, CHARLES America, residing at Memphis, in the county vented certain new and useful improvements iii-.Processes of -Atomizing and Burning Hy droga-P50115 0f I WhCh' the' following iS a' specification. .1.0.

My-present invention relates to a process of atomizing 'and burning hydrocarbons, and the process involves thea'dinixingof air and hydrccarbon under pressure land'l subjecting it to successive compression and expansion '.actions, the expansion immediately following the greatest compression, Lpreferably in 4the presence of heat, expansion taking place .-,within a combustion chamber yWhich permits. .rapid action.:

T he'preliminary admixture of the-air and hydrocarbon -is'preferably provided in adJ Vance ofthe compression step, in any of v'several ways, lthe preferred manner being relative to the. baille is such that the direction ofcontact is angular to the baille axis,

andthe result .is a breaking upand more complete admiXture of the combined air'and hydro-carbons, this admixture beine immediately compressed and then expanded in the presence of'heat. The whirling;` action maybe given in various ways, one forni being-by .the use of aspiral' within a tube, the combined air and hydro-carbon beine; forced around the yspiral by thefpressure behind it. l`When this forni is employed the convolution of the spiral adjacent the screen balile,` through its' particular configuration, tends to increase-this breaking up -or atomm izing1 condition.z The delivery of the cornbined air and hydro-carbon angularlv to the face and a'Xisvof the-halide may also be provided by forming a tortu'ous passageway whichv hasv its exitadapted to ie'ive this angular-direction to thestreain; in'this conn nection' the passageway may be formed by I p y y "Viviolry STUART, a` citizen of the `UnitedStates of The baile being located at the entrance to the compressionchamber, the 'direction' of stream delivery the use. o a baile or baffles .of suitable configuration.

- Thehydro-carbon employed may be either l the light or heavy oils. of Shelby and State of Tennessee, haveinj The drawing accompanying this application shows onelform of-an apparatus for and Fig'. is asectionalview taken on line 2-2 Vof Fig.

Referring to 'tliedrawings l indicates a burner tube provided with an hydro-carbon (indicated `generally as oil) inlet 2 and an air inlet 3. Near the other end ofthe tube is located a `spiral 4, andbetween the spiral and the oil and air inlets is locateda pressure-providing means such as a fan blower 'Q adapted tocforce' the combination of the oil and air around the convolutions of the spiral 4. The eXit end of the spiral is :prefierably located at the entrance to a compres? V'formed' somewhat Similar to a-truncated cone, this chamber being preferably located at the lvend 6- of the tube l. If desired, and

l preferably employ the same, I may provide a screen baflie l0 at the entrance to the c0m' pression chamber, the face of this baille eX- ltending at right angles to the aXis'of the chamber 7, this baille being also located at the eXit end of the spiral, the result' being that the combined air and oil which'is `given a. whirling action in being forced around the spiral convolutions is directed toward this screen baflie l0 in a direction angular both to the baflie face andthe baille axis; consequently,'thestream of air and oil notonly has itsldirect'ion of flow changed from the vspiral to one approaching' the direction. of

An enlarged, and Vpreferably elongated combustion chamber 9 surrounds the end 6 of the tube and may be attached thereto in any convenient inanner. Said chamber 9 may be of any appropriate material which ture taking place within the combustion i chamber. This combustion has the effect of heating the Walls ofthe chamber, and the intense heat, being at the point-of expansion, causes a more rapid gasifying action, so that the gaseous product is in such a state as to provide for substantially perfect combustion, the flame resultant therefrom providing an intense heat upon its issuance from the combustlon chamber. In this con- V inection, the relative sizes of the parts become of some importance, the diameter of the 'combustion chamber being preferably about double that of the vtube l and about' four or five -times that of the restricted exit opening S.

The general operation of the structure shown in the drawing appears obvious.` The hydro-carbon enters through the inlet 2, preferably under a pressure sufficient to `cause it to be introduced into the tube in the rear of the fan Which also draws in4 air through the inlet 3. The air takes up the hydrocarbon and the combination is forced into the spiral passage under the pressure provided by the rotation of the fan, this pressure, after the fan has reached the desired speed, remaining constant and-causing a constant supply to the spiral passageway. p

After traversing this passageway, zWithin which there maybe an atomizing effect, due to the form of the spiral, the combined air and hydro-carbon passes through the balile l0 into the compression chamber 7 from which it is discharged through the restricted opening 8, into the combustion chamber 9. As Will be understood, the compressed mixture, being under the pressure of the streamlike constant supply will be forced through the opening at an increased velocity, which is immediately and suddenly reduced by the expansion which at once follows the discharge through.tnerestricted opening. This action causes the combined elements to more lnearly approach complete atomlzation, and

gasification of 'the finely atomized mixture is materially assistedbv .the heat of the com bustion chamber, producing a highly inflammabl'e mixtugeat the vpoint of combustion. As this stateis' reached after the mixture passes through the opening 8 it will be readily understood thatthe combustion takes place practically entirely Within the combustion chamber. Furthermore, the usual reverberation is eliminated.

It Will be obvious that, while I have shown a preflerred form of apparatus' for carrying out this'process, various modilications thereof will be .suggested to those skilled in the art to which theinvention appertains. ASuch modifications and changes as may be required or desired in carrying out the principles of my invention are reserved, in so far as the same may fall within the spirit and scope of the invention as expressed in the accompanying claim.

What I claim as new is:

The process of atomizing and burning hydrocarbon, which consists in inducinga current of air and oil under pressure into a relatively restricted passage, causing said mixture to travel in a tortuous path, forcibly directing the mixture at an angle against a member in the path thereof, whereby atomization is promoted, thereafter compressing said mixture, thereby increasing the speed of said mixture, thereafter materially reducing the speed of said mixture in the presence of heat, whereby further atomization and gasification is assisted, and there- .after burning said mixture.

ln testimony whereof. I aliix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES VIVION STUART.

. Witnesses: l

R. M. PARKER, RUssELL L. STEVENS. 

